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Alador
Alador In the wastelands east of the Mekillot Mountains blooms a desert rose. The village of Alador was founded by a templar who in a rare moment of insight discovered compassion for those who toiled under him. Those slaves he freed have created a new life for themselves in Alador. Origin/History Alador is a slave village founded about eight years before the downfall of Kalak. The founder, a formerly ruthless Tyr templar named Micayon, was charged with the task of transporting a caravan of slaves from Balic to Tyr for the construction of Kalak’s great ziggurat. Leading a routine reconnaissance patrol, Micayon stumbled across a half-dozen ruined merchant wagons. Investigating further, Micayon discovered an unusually large band of belgoi responsible for the attack. They were holding the survivors as prisoners. Thinking to add the prisoners to his slave caravan, Micayon ambushed the belgoi while they were preoccupied, arguing over how to divide a small human baby for the evening meal. The battle was fought over the child’s hoarse, pathetic cries. The belgoi defeated, Micayon picked up the infant and its crying stopped. The baby fixed its eyes on the templar and suddenly Micayon’s wild talent, Empathy, awakened. He felt a flood of emotion from the infant. Intense love…for him. Micayon’s mind reeled from the impact. When he returned to the caravan, he was assaulted by the misery and hatred of the slaves. He wanted this torrent of emotion to stop. One way he knew how to stop it was to end their suffering, by freeing the slaves. Micayon led a slave revolt against the other templars and guards of the caravan and diverted his caravan far from Tyr. The templar settled the slaves at the base of a tall, isolated plateau where he discovered an oasis that was nearly invisible from a distance. The village has grown from the original 168 slaves to a current population numbering over 300 individuals. Almost half of these are under the age of 20 and are children of the original slaves. Location The major part of the village is positioned in the shade of an enormous and jagged outcrop of stone that juts out of the desert sands. This outcrop of stone is located roughly 30 miles east of Gulg where the stony barrens meets the rocky badlands, about 10 miles away from the main road from Altaruk to Gulg. The top of the outcropping is level and can easily hold several hundred people. From a bird’s eye view, this “plateau” is bean-shaped. It slightly hugs around the oasis. Due to this position, Alador receives only half the usual amount of sunlight during the day. In addition, the environment is always cool and the wind calm since the outcrop shields the village from winds and sandstorms. The oasis can comfortably support a population of about 800-900 people. As the population increases, the villagers construct buildings of adobe that scale the side of the plateau, and that are accessible through a system of ladders. Among the places of interest are the Desert Rose, which serves as the inn and general store. Loralune’s Medicines Charms & Trinkets is run by the chief midwife and medicine woman. The Ten Blades is the village’s finest weapons and armor store. ‘Zana’s Livestock raises erdlu, pack animals, mounts, and war mounts. Finally, at the top of the plateau, the village maintains a sentry post where the sun priest, Sol Hokat, keeps his shrine. Organization A council of former slaves headed by Micayon governs Alador. Meetings are chaotic affairs and usually degenerate into loud arguments. All meetings are conducted in the village tavern, the Desert Rose. All villagers are free to attend and participate. When Alador is attacked, the villagers defend themselves at the walls built around the oasis. If that fails, they will gather all the supplies possible and ascend the plateau to make a stand. Outside Relations The village is somewhat isolated. It doesn’t hide its existence, but neither does it encourage visitors. Outsiders are allowed to pass through and stay for a short while, but they are never allowed to settle permanently, not even escaped slaves. Only in special cases, such as marriage, are outsiders allowed to remain. The village may also invite outsiders with special needed skills to live there. Woods and skins are imported from Gulg, obsidian from Urik, small amounts of iron from Tyr, and diverse foodstuffs from several locations, mostly Altaruk. The main exports include clay bricks, surplus food, sculpted figurines, fetishes, and most importantly, weapons fashioned from the imported materials. Over the past five years, Alador has become a clandestine weapons market. Outlaw groups that may not be able to openly purchase large quantities of weapons in the citystates can purchase them here; no questions asked. These include raiders, slaves, thri-kreen, numerous elven tribes, gith, and sometimes the Veiled Alliance. They also cater to legitimate concerns (such as merchant houses) that do not wish to draw attention to the fact that they are stockpiling weapons. A third of the population is trained in weaponsmithing and armoring. At any given time, several agents or personalities (sometimes in disguise) from various groups and city-states may be in Alador with their bodyguards. Templars and warriors who are in the market for quality weapons may also be here. The floating population typically numbers around 40-50 people. Woe to any defiler who sneaks inside. If caught, defilers (and preservers) are executed. Having suffered from lightning fast raids in the past, the village requires all able-bodied adults to carry weapons and train regularly in the militia. Primary dangers to Alador are ironically potential customers: raiders. Humans, gith, elves, thri-kreen and giants have all attacked the village in its weaker, early history. Alador immediately ceases trade with any groups that attack it. Raiders will discover that their rivals receive excellent weapon deals. Consequently, the number of raids is steadily declining. Important Residents Micayon Human Male Templar, Lawful Neutral AC 5 (hide armor, shield) Str 15 Movement 12 Dex 10 Level 10 Con 16 Hit Points 53 Int 16 THAC0 15 (16 Light crossbow) Wis 18 No. of Attacks 1 Cha 14 Damage/Attack: 1d8-1/ 1d12-1 (Bone long sword), 1d4-1/ 1d4 –1 (Obsidian-tipped quarrels) Psionic Summary: PSPs 63, Wild Talent: Empathy Power Score—18 Attack/ Defense Modes: none / MB, IF, TW PLAYER’S OPTION: MTHACO 16, MAC 5 Micayon is 54 years old. He stands 6’3” tall with graying black hair, and steel-gray eyes. His beard and mustache are always well groomed and he affords the best clothing his income allows. Micayon looks back on his templar years with nostalgia. He is very much a man of creature comforts with a taste for wielding power. He keeps his Tyr templar uniform and armor in good repair. Micayon struggles with a habit of assuming authority and is uncomfortable in the freewheeling governmental style of Alador. The other villagers view him with amusement; a bureaucrat forced to be a commoner. He is highly arrogant, but principled and cultured. Being the one of the handful of villagers who can read and write , he is the primary negotiator for the village. He also performs the same functions for Alador that he performed in Tyr: an administrator and an accountant. Zamora' Female Half-Elf Level Preserver/ Bard, Neutral Good AC 2 (Armor Spell, Dexterity) Str 13 Movement 12 Dex 18 Level 7/ 8 Con 13 Hit Points 27 Int 19 THAC0 15 Wis 15 No. of Attacks 3 Cha 16 Damage/Attack: 1d3-1/ 1d2-1 (Bone darts)* Psionic Summary: PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 8 Wizard Spells (4/3/2/1) *Coated with Type E Poison, Death/20 Zamora is a middle-aged woman about 44 years old. She stands 5’9” tall with black hair and violet eyes. She is the innkeeper of the Desert Rose, a rather large tavern and inn (often the whole village will congregate there). She maintains a general store off to the side of the Rose and serves on the village council. A former slave, she had been arrested for being a witch, and was sold to Micayon to be used as slave labor on the Tyrean Ziggurat. Despite her good standing, if the village folk ever discovered she was a mage, she could be chased out by a mob. Some villagers suspect her, such as Loralune. Micayon keeps her secret and quietly discourages the idea of her being a mage if it ever comes up. She has no contacts with any Veiled Alliance. She enjoys singing for the villagers, telling stories, and giving sweets to children; especially since this wins goodwill in the village and on the council. Weekly dances are held at her tavern. Zamora offers traveling minstrels free room and board plus tips for every night they perform at her venue. She often sits with them at the dinner table and exchanges stories. She recently convinced the villagers to hire a mindbender (a psionicist) to act as healer, diviner, advisor, and to help train the militia wild talents. If the villagers find someone suitable they will offer room, board, and a small income. Zamora has three barmaids helping her. They are Asterra, Charise, and the elf-maiden Nyneva. Nyneva serves secretly as an apprentice. Mikastor Male Human,Lawful Good AC 2 (Braxat Hide, Dex) Str 17 Movement 12 Dex 19 Level 0 Con 17 Hit Points 8 Int 15 THAC0 20 (18 w/ Short bow) Wis 14 No. of Attacks 1 (Bone long sword)/ Cha 14 2 (Short bow) Damage/Attack: 1d8/ 1d12 (bone long sword), 1d6-1/ 1d6-1 (bone-tipped flight arrows) Psionic Summary: PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 10 This is the infant that Micayon rescued from the belgoi. He is a strong youth about 19 years old, brown hair, black eyes. Mikastor is eager to leave the village and intends to hire himself out to any good employer. He is militia trained, but wishes to complete his training as one of the legendary warriors of the waste (a ranger). So far, he has met no one qualified to teach him. Despite his youth, Mikastor is quite competent. He can read, write, and perform mathematical calculations. He can survive in the desert and locate water. He is quite capable of serving as a weapons-bearer, or he can serve as a shield-bearer to protect spellcasters and psionicists. If equipped with a polearm, he can take occasional pokes at the enemy from behind the melee line. Also, he can serve as a lookout, spotting new approaching dangers whenever his companions are caught up in an intense battle. Lamorion Male Dwarf Fighter Lawful Neutral AC 3 (Rasclinn Hide, Armor Optimization) Str 21 Movement 6 Dex 12 Level 7 Con 20 Hit Points 87 Int 13 THAC0 10 Wis 16 No. of Attacks 2 Cha 8 Damage/Attack: 1d4+8/1d4+7 (steel war hammer) Psionic Summary: PSPs 37, Wild Talent: Heightened Senses Power Score—20 Attack/ Defense Modes: none / MB, MBk, TW PLAYER’S OPTION: MTHACO 17, MAC 8 Lamorion is a middle-aged dwarf with a sharp tongue. He stands 5’ tall and is quite dusky with coal black eyes. He runs the Ten Blades for the village, manned by at least 30 men and women aides. Lamorion has created a comfortable life for his family here. He is the chief weaponsmith, armorer, and bowyer/fletcher. He has trained about a third of the villagers to help fulfill the contracts that Micayon negotiates. This dwarf was one of the most valuable slaves that Micayon was carrying in the slave caravan to Tyr. Lamorion hails from a long line of dwarven weaponsmith slaves. His focus and passion is to develop new weapons. He can be hired to create almost any unusual and uncommon weapons and armor (such as from the Gladiator’s Handbook) all at premium prices and only if the necessary materials are available. Such is his skill that 1-2 weapons of quality can be found in his store at any given time; usually made of bone, wood, or obsidian. These weapons grant a +1 to hit OR to damage, but not both. They sell for 2-5 times the normal price. Lamorion can finish any weapon or armor project (but not a weapon of quality) in half the time it takes anyone else. In short, he is profoundly focused and is a master of his craft. Lamorion is also extremely rude. He will miss no opportunities to ridicule other people over their weapons and armaments (“I’ve never seen such a piece of crap!”) unless he crafted them personally, no matter what their actual quality, even if they’re steel or magical. Lamorion is polite only when he wants something. What does he want? Lamorion loves to ask warriors to “try out” his new weapons. (“Those monsters will never know what hit ‘em!”) Micayon has (wisely) declined all of the dwarf’s offers to outfit the village militia with his “modern” weapons and this frustrates Lamorion to no end. During council meetings, Lamorion’s contribution when discussing any threat to the village is always inevitably the same (“We need new weapons!”). Almost without fail, he will approach visiting warriors. Unfortunately, 90% of his new weapons tend to be impractical and/or malfunction. Some are so bizarre that even gladiators sometimes cannot figure out how to use them. In particular, Lamorion wants to perfect his spring loaded spears tips and sword blades that shoot off at the hilt guard. If only he can find some warriors to try them out… Lamorion is occasionally hired by psionicists and templars who wish to empower weapons and armor. His skill is more than adequate to help them. However, it depresses him if he is asked to use his skills to make anything “normal” (“Hohum… another sword and spear.”). He constantly pressures his clients to apply their power to something “innovative.” Unless he is under strict supervision, Lamorion occasionally takes liberties with the projects of minor clients and builds “improvements” into them without telling them. Contracts for Lamorion’s personal work is constantly back-ordered. He demands payment up front (for materials) and some clients have to wait up to two years. Steel weapons of quality can go up to 20 times the normal cost. It is rumored that House Wavir wants him back badly. Loralune Female Human Chaotic Neutral AC 9 (Dexterity) Str 11 Movement 12 Dex 15 Level 0 Con 13 Hit Points 4 Int 15 THAC0 20 Wis 9 No. of Attacks 1 Cha 10 Damage/Attack: 1d4-1/ 1d3-1 (Bone dagger) Psionic Summary: PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 10 Loralune runs Loralune’s Medicines, Charms, and Trinkets. She is an old, crabby woman who serves as the local herbalist, tailor, midwife, and fortuneteller. Her store carries a wide array of herbs, curative medicines, salves, and clothing. She is gossipy, jealous, and insecure. She will charge double prices for those she dislikes. Currently on her bad side is Zamora who recently convinced the village council to hire someone professional as a healer (i.e. someone better than her). Nyneva Female Elf, Chaotic Good AC 5 (Leather breastplate, Dexterity) Str 13 Movement 18 Dex 19 Level 0 Con 13 Hit Points 4 Int 16 THAC0 20 Wis 9 No. of Attacks 1 Cha 17 Damage/Attack: 1d6-1/ 1d8-1 (Bone short sword) Psionic Summary: PLAYER’S OPTION: MAC 9 Nyneva is a barmaid at the Desert Rose. The Dragon destroyed Nyneva’s elf tribe two decades ago and she was orphaned. Later, she was mysteriously found on Zamora’s doorstep. The good-hearted half-elf woman adopted her. Nyneva is now a beautiful maiden, who stands 5’10” with amber hair and silver eyes. Now 20 years old, her elven blood sings to her to wander the world and, like Mikastor, she is getting desperate to leave the village. Nyneva is Zamora’s secret apprentice, both in sorcery and the thieving arts. In addition, her militia training has given her excellent fighting skills. The time is fast approaching when she will become a full-fledged fighter/ preserver/ thief. When that time arrives, she will leave Alador. She feels intimidated by elven tribes and is extremely insecure as to how they might view her; an elf raised by humans. She tends to go too far in trying to win their approval, particularly elven males. She has yet to learn that most elves simply don’t care about her or anyone else outside their tribe. Only Zamora’s watchful eye prevents her from being taken advantage of. The inn mistress deeply wishes that Nyneva would display better judgement, but she realizes that for some people the best teacher is the “school of hard knocks.” Sol Hokat Human Male Sun Priest Chaotic Neutral (Evil) AC 2 (Braxat Hide, Dexterity) Str 15 Movement 12 Dex 17 Level 11 Con 16 Hit Points 59 Int 9 THAC0 15 Wis 18 No. of Attacks 1 Cha 9 Damage/Attack: 1d8-1/ 1d8-1 (Bone Scimitar) Psionic Summary: PSPs 56; Wild Talent: Control Light Power Score—9 Attack/ Defense Modes: none / TS, MBk, TW PLAYER’S OPTION: MTHACO 15, MAC 6 Spells: (5/4/4/3/2/1); major sphere – sun *; minor sphere – cosmos Granted Powers: Minor resistance to sun light, enhanced saving throws (+2 vs. sun, heat, or fire), ignore sunlight (11 rounds), gate in a beam of sunlight. * For those without access to Earth, Air, Fire, and Water accessory, substitute the fire sphere. Sol Hokat is an old man, long driven crazy by his devotions to the sun lords. Living at the top of the plateau (his shrine), he often stares down angrily upon the villagers (“Heretics, all of them!”). Being a sun priest, he believes that living in the shade is blasphemy. He is constantly scheming how to give the villagers more sun exposure, so they can receive its “blessings” (“I’ll blow up the mountain someday!”). The village regularly sends sentries to the top of the plateau to watch the horizons for approaching danger. These unfortunate soldiers are forced to listen to endless hours of sermons. Villagers see Sol Hokat as harmless. Ultimately though, they may be wrong.